


Different

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: (More) Scenes From A Partnership [4]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Bigotry & Prejudice, But also a wonderfully terrifying team, Established Relationship, F/M, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Marriage Proposal, Nick and Judy Are More Obvious Than They Realize, Secret Relationship, Working Through Things Together, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-07-18 23:23:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7335169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love is always worth fighting for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When they could, Judy and Nick tried to pick up lunch for anyone stuck in HQ. It was a little thing that was always appreciated, and it didn't hurt that they both got to show off by taking only one trip to carry in a load of food that sometimes weighed as much as they did.

That usually involved at least two stops, one for predators and one for prey, since it was rare for an omnivore restaurant to be equally good at both halves of their menu. That day, they'd stopped at Doevinda's to grab Judy and Higgins' order, swung by Clawhauser's favorite donut shop, and were headed to the Growlery to finish up. The radio was pretty quiet, but as always the two of them had no trouble filling the silence.

"You are not going to get me to try carrot soup," Nick insisted, taking another bite of his blueberry donut. The crumbs skittered down the side of the Doevinda's bag balanced in his lap, scattering across the surface of the box just underneath it. "I don't care if this is the best carrot soup in the entire city, it's still not going in my mouth."

"Stop being such a scaredy-fox," Judy scoffed, having to work to keep the smile off her face. "You like carrot donuts, don't you?

Nick sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "The fact that you think there's any connection at all between those two items worries me for your taste buds, Carrots." He popped the last bit of donut in his mouth, licking the icing off his fingers. "Carrot donuts are spicy deliciousness. Carrot soup tastes like regret."

"Regret?" The smile was a lost cause, so she shifted her focus to trying not to laugh. "And what does regret taste like, exactly?"

He smirked, eyes too soft and fond for it to have any bite. "It tastes like your taste buds kicking you over the fact that you could be eating literally anything else, but for some inexplicable reason you've chosen to eat—"

He was cut off by the crackle of the radio, Clawhauser's voice cutting in. "Judy, Nick, we're cancelling our orders for The Growlery. Just come back to headquarters right now, and we'll all figure out someplace else for you to go."

Judy's brow furrowed in confused exasperation. "Seriously? We're only about five minutes away."

"Then you should _definitely_ turn around." The urgency in Clawhauser's voice doubled, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Nick's brow lower with the same kind of suspicion she was feeling. "There's... food poisoning! So much food poisoning at The Growlery. The whole place is shut down."

She looked over at Nick, waiting for his small nod, then pulled the car over into an available spot. "What's really going on, Clawhauser?"

"You know we'll just get it out of you anyway," Nick added, his voice serious. "So you might as well spill."

"Seriously, there's _nothing_." Even if nothing else did, the sheer amount of emphasis he put on the word made it clear he was lying. "I just—"

Another person jumped in on the comms, cutting him off. "Give it up, Clawhauser," Wolford said. "It's best you two don't go anywhere near The Growlery for the rest of the night. Species First is camped out front, with tables and like six different volunteers handing out flyers. Having the two of you walk up would hand them tonight's news story on a spit."

The mention of "Species First" hit her like a kick, and every word after that wound her muscles tighter and tighter. Nick had gone absolutely expressionless, but Judy could imagine all too clearly what was going on in his head. They were more subtle than the usual hate groups – it was still soon enough after Bellwether that anti-predator stuff was shot down pretty quick – and didn't outwardly try to exclude any species.

As if summoned, an ibex wearing a "Species First" t-shirt followed a sand cat in a business suit around the corner. Even through the rolled-up window, Judy could all too easily hear what the ibex was saying. "...protecting our species, that's all it is! You don't want sand cats to die _out_ , do you?  Of course not! But if too many sand cats marry outside their species, the next generation will be _gone_!"

The sand cat looked up from her phone. "Sand cats mostly marry other sand cats."

Sadly, this didn't even slow the ibex down. "That may be true now, but what if that 'mostly' turns into 'not enough?' The intermingling that happens in Zootopia provides ample opportunity for young sand cats to get their heads turned by the wrong sort of mammal...."

Not able to stand it even a second longer, Judy pulled out and took the opposite turn. Nick slunk down in his seat to make himself less visible through the window, and something tore at Judy's chest. "We're leaving," she told both Wolford and Clawhauser, voice quiet. "But we're far from the only interspecies partnership on the force."

There was a static sound on the other end of the comm. "We all know, okay?" Wolford said finally, voice gentle. "The two of you are pretty much an open secret among the precinct, and if we all saw it then these jerks probably will too. Let us save you two from that particular shitshow when we can, okay?"

Judy's chest squeezed tight, and it felt like there was a rock in her throat. This time, it was Nick who spoke for both of them. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"I'm so sorry," Clawhauser added, sounding heartbroken.

When the comms clicked off, Judy took one paw off the wheel just long enough to reach for Nick. He took her paw in his, giving it a quick squeeze before letting go.

They drove back to headquarters in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Judy did both of their leftover paperwork to within an inch of its life, and Nick was smart enough not to say a word. His rabbit had never been very good at walking away from a fight, and she also wasn't that good at brooding quietly. Her approach to life was to tackle things head on, and when she couldn't her main way of coping was to tackle something else.

When she started attacking the crevices of the stove with an old toothbrush 15 minutes after they got home, however, he decided it was time for an intervention. "Carrots." He crouched down next to her, laying a paw over hers. "That stove's not used to so much cleaning. You keep going at it, the poor old thing might actually dissolve." She stayed stiff for a moment, not looking at him, then all the tension knotting her muscles left her in a rush and she dropped her head against the oven door with a thunk. Nick, his chest hurting, pulled her against him. "Hey, we've discussed this. If you're going to dramatically collapse against anything, it's going to be me."

There was a breath that might have been a weak chuckle, then she dropped her toothbrush and wrapped her arms around him. Nick dropped down onto his butt, pulling her even closer and trying hard to shove down the little tickle of fear skittering through his chest. No matter how much she tried to reassure him, there was a part of him that was always waiting for the day he wouldn't be worth it any more. When some new shit would happen because of who they both were, and what they were trying to be together, that would make Judy decide it was time to cut her losses.

Now, though, his focus needed to be on Judy. "I'm sorry," he whispered, rubbing his paw up and down her back. He'd had a lead weight in his stomach ever since lunch, and it was only getting heavier.

She pulled back only far enough to smack his chest, giving him a stern look. "Unless you're apologizing for the fact that I'm not legally allowed to either arrest or fight those assholes, you have nothing whatsoever to be sorry about." Then she sighed, leaning back against him. "I really, really wish I was legally allowed to either arrest or fight them."

"I know." Since it was clear neither of them were ready to get up yet, he shifted around so his back rested against the counter. "But all that will do is give them a news story, and make you more of a target than you would be anyway."

Nick was used to being a target, either for more direct attacks or the more insidious false-reasonableness that Species First was dishing out. For a long time, he'd thought it was just how the world worked – everyone was out to get him, so he might as well be out to get everyone else.

He'd do a lot to protect Judy from having to live that kind of life.

"I don't _care_." Anger built with every word, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut a moment. "They're trying to keep people _apart_ , Nick." Now her voice wavered, which was a thousand times worse. "If they had their way, you and I would never have even _met_ each other. That's...." She swallowed. "That's the worst thing I can think of."

It was the worst thing Nick could think of, too. "They don't care about individual mammals, Carrots," he said quietly, wishing he could spin some story that would somehow make it easier on her. She'd never been very good at just accepting the terrible things the world did to mammals. "They just want the world to match the vision in their heads."

"It's a _horrible_ vision." The words were almost bitter now, and they sounded wrong coming from his optimistic-to-the-point-of-insanity rabbit. "Every time I see them I want to just.... just...." Her paws clenched.

All he could do was hold her tighter. "I know."

She let out a breath. "But I _can't_ , because that will make _you_ a target." She pulled back enough to look up at him, earnestness radiating out of her, and Nick felt his breath go. "I promise, Nick. I know how I can get, but I won't say or do anything that will get you in trouble with them." She laid her paws against the sides of his face, her voice fierce. "You've been a target enough."

Not sure his voice could be trusted at the moment, he leaned in for a kiss that he hoped would be enough to communicate everything he was feeling. When they broke apart, his eyes were wet. "I keep trying to protect _you_."

 Judy's eyes widened, and then she had to blink hard against the sudden shimmer of tears in her own eyes. "If I had my way, I would march up and down Main Street with the biggest sign I can carry saying 'I'm in love with the most wonderful fox in Zootopia,'" she said, voice thick. "If someone comes at me with a tazer, I need you to watch my back. If my aunt Myra starts one of her 'speeches' about how I'm the family disappointment, I need you to get me out of the room before I end up committing zooicide.  But when it comes to standing up to anybody who _dares_ question the fact that you're the best thing to ever happen to me? I am happy to do that every _single_ day for the rest of my life." Her expression softened. "And I will tell you that over and over again until you believe me."

He kissed her again, his cheeks wet now, and he pulled her back against him. "You still shouldn't get in fights with Species First," he managed, his throat sounding like a bunch of tiger cubs had been sharpening their claws on it. "If you get kicked off the force, I'll just end up quitting and we'll both end up either working at an ice cream shop or laundering money for Mr. Big. Either way, I don't want to have to explain it to your mother."

Judy laughed wetly, and the heaviness in Nick's stomach finally started to ease.


	3. Chapter 3

They’d had a busy morning – Weaselton had gotten in a fight with a street-busking chipmunk over territory, and she and Nick had been the ones to break up the fight and figure out whether an actual crime had been committed – but things had gone quiet by afternoon. Leaving one ear on the police scanner, Judy and Nick let themselves fall back into one of their favorite debates – whether the original or prequel trilogy of “Fur Wars” was better.

“I don’t even know why I let you do this. We both know you just argue for the prequels to get me riled up.”

“I’m arguing for artistic truth here, Carrots. The story arc that Obi Wan Kenobear goes through in those three movies is one of the great tragedies of our time.”

“You just say that because he’s the only one who actually remembered to act in those—“

She was cut off by the police radio crackling to life. “All units, we’ve got a 10-33 in progress at the Zootopia Central Courthouse. We’ve received reports that rioters are targeting mammals trapped in the crowd.”

Which means they had to go _now_. They shared a single worried glance before Judy started the car and pulled them back out into traffic, sirens flashing to speed their way. She didn’t know what they could do –she and Nick weren’t the most useful when it came to crowd control – but they’d help in any way they could.

When they got there, they headed straight for the police line. The riot still seemed to be fairly localized – maybe about 50 protestors, and the property damage hadn’t spread to nearby businesses yet – but that was mostly because the crowd seemed to be angrily pressing _inward_. And if there were innocent mammals trapped in there....

She caught sight of the Species First sign on the ground about the same time Francine headed over to them, riot gear in hand. “Where do you need us?” Nick asked, expression solemn.

Francine made a frustrated noise as she handed over the equipment. “The crowd’s too dense for tear gas – it’ll get the mammals at the edges, but it’ll give the mammals at the center time to possibly kill the couple before we can get to them.”

“And there’s not a risk of that now?” Judy asked as she and Nick strapped themselves into the equipment.

“We can’t be sure, but so far none of the mammals in the crowd have moved past physical assault.” Francine sounded almost despairing, which was never a good sign. “If we could get the couple out, we could really start dealing with the problem. But none of us can make it in that far.”

“And you think Hopps and I can,” Nick said, resigned.

“You’ve got the best shot of any of us,” Francine sighed. “If you can’t, we’ll have to try for the tear gas and hope.”

Hopps nodded. “We’ll do what we can. Where do we think the couple is?”

Francine filled them in on everything the officers knew, then waded back in to help the other officers. Judy and Nick surveyed the scene, which had already collected its usual circle of news cameras. “I could jump up to the top of one of the light poles, get a better look at things,” Judy offered. No matter what Nick accused her of sometimes, she _did_ try and let him in on her plans whenever she could. If nothing else, they were usually better plans when they came up with them together. “It’ll help us pinpoint where the couple is exactly, give us a better sense of our exit route.”

Nick nodded, and she headed for a light fixture with a newspaper stand close enough she could use as a boost. She stopped when Nick caught her arm, gesturing to another light pole further away. “You can use the awning, and it’ll give you a good enough look without putting you directly in the line of sight of the rioters.”

Acknowledging his point, Judy bounded off. She could barely catch sight of the couple – a head protectively hunched – but their location was easy enough to pinpoint by finding the focus of the crowd. She hopped back down, returning to Nick’s side. “Our best bet is to get the couple back inside, then maybe get them out another door.”

“Big question is, how do we _get_ to the couple?” Nick mused. “You go high, I go low?”

Judy shook her head. “There’s no way you’ll be able to make it all the way to them without it getting violent. We’ll both have to go high.”

Nick sighed. “These claws don’t work for climbing light poles, Carrots.”

“Lucky for you, I keep an eye out for that sort of thing.” Judy gestured to the corner of the courthouse itself, which had extra fancy brickwork at the corner that gave a good climber just enough handholds. “If you can make it to the second window, you’ll be in just the right position.”

“To fall to my death?”

She nudged him. “Foxes are great jumpers.”

He sighed. “But we don’t like to admit it to anyone.”

She reached for his paw, giving it a quick squeeze before they separated. She waited a few beats to give Nick time to climb, then jumped up on her own pole. She held on while Nick got into position – if she winced at one scrabble, no one had to know – and waited until his eyes met hers.

Then they both jumped.

Neither one of them landed exactly at their target – they hadn’t wanted to crash down onto the couple’s heads – so there was a brief, mad scramble over a few of the rioter’s heads. They both landed hard – Nick more than her – and they reached the couple at the same time. “Come on!” Nick shouted, grabbing the armadillo who had curled herself around the marmoset.

Judy grabbed the marmoset, using her armored body to shield the monkey while they pushed forward. The armadillo tried to shield both of them using her armor, while Nick did what he could to protect all four of them as they kept moving forward. She could feel the hits, had to brace herself to keep on her feet, and at one point someone tried to grab the end of her ear and yank. The mammal let go a second later, and Judy assumed that Nick had taken care of it.

When they hit the doors, they immediately gave way as the people inside yanked the doors open and tugged them in to safety. The mob tried to push their way inside as well, but everyone came together to press the doors back closed.

“I have never been so grateful for bulletproof glass,” a nicely dressed badger muttered, decisively re-locking the doors while the other employees ushered the couple away from the doors to check their injuries. Nick and Judy made sure to get away from the windows as well, then dropped to the floor for a few minutes. Judy yanked her helmet off – her ears always hurt when she had to wear it for very long – then did the same to Nick’s before dropping her head on his shoulder.

“We still have more heroing to do,” Nick reminded her, tugging her closer.

She glanced over at the couple, who appeared to be well taken care of by the employees. “We will,” she sighed. “Just give me a few minutes.”


	4. Chapter 4

Their jump was the main visual in pretty much all the news coverage for the riot, though the mass arrests that followed ran a close second. None of the channels, however, included interviews with either of them – Judy had started avoiding reporters ever since that first press conference, and Nick had no interest in being more than a foot away from Judy.  

Sadly, that didn’t mean they could avoid the footage of the jump, which re-ran at various points on every channel for the _rest of the day_.

Remote still lifted to change the channel, Nick winced at image on the screen. This one was cell phone footage someone had apparently put up on Zootube, taken from someone on one of the upper floors of the courthouse. “Please tell me that’s not the expression I make when I jump.”

“You’re getting better,” Judy murmured sleepily, head pressed against Nick’s chest and legs stretched out with his along the rest of the couch. They’d had to beta test several different cuddling arrangements, and though this one worked best it tended to make them both fall asleep if they were at all tired. “The first time you did it, you screamed ‘What was I thinking?’ all the way down. The grimace just makes it look like you’re thinking really intense thoughts.”

Nick sighed, changing the channel. “You know, there was a time in my life when I actually thought I was cool.”

He felt her smile. “I didn’t fall in love with you because you were cool.”

Nick didn’t try to stop his own lips from curving upward. “Lucky for me.”

000

Though the news had moved onto a new topic by the next morning, Clawhauser had not.

“All hail Officers Hopps and Wilde, ZPD’s resident super heroes!” He flung handfuls of confetti in the air – glitter, thankfully, had been officially banned by Bogo the month before. “Oh, I wish I could have been there. You two looked so _cool_.”

Nick smirked as he leaned against the counter. “Of course I did. I never look more impressive than when falling from a great height.”

Judy gave him a nudge. “He knew exactly what he was doing. Just because you don’t like jumping off of things doesn’t mean you aren’t good at it.”

“I’m getting better at it.” He grinned down at her, knowing his face had gone soft but not caring. “And I’m sure you’re going to give me plenty of extra practice. Anything stupid and dangerous like that you have to do, you’d better always let me know so I can be right there with you.”

Her expression was equally soft. “As if I’d want you to be anywhere else.”

Clawhauser was watching all this with a delighted expression, chin resting his paws. “I have no idea how the two of you ever thought you were keeping your relationship a secret,” he said indulgently. “You two flirt more often than the doctors on ‘Grazer's Anatomy.’”

Before Nick could come up with a suitably witty comeback to that, a suddenly oppressive silence fell over the entire main floor. Clawhauser’s eyes immediately snapped to the doors, and Nick followed his gaze to see a slow loris step through the doors. About Judy’s height, the loris was wearing a very expensive suit and the expression of someone who was personally offended by the fact that she was being forced to associate with mammals whose annual salaries were less than $100,000. In the old days, he would have made absolutely certain to lift her wallet for the sheer principle of the thing.

Of course, in the old days he wouldn’t have cared as much that he was staring at Helen Strepsirrhine, the founder and president of Species First.

She headed directly for the stairs, but Rhinowitz and Snarlof blocked the way up and pointed to the reception desk. Nick tensed, his instincts screaming at him to get out of the line of fire and drag Judy with him whether she wanted to go or not, but then Strepsirrhine shot both he and Judy a look of cool distaste and Nick knew he couldn’t go anywhere. He wasn’t going to give this one _anything_.

He felt Judy tense next to him, paws curling into fists, and Nick laid restraining paw on her other shoulder as Strepsirrhine came closer. The slow loris’s too-big eyes narrowed, and her expression shifted to something far deeper than distaste. “You’re the police officers who retrieved those misguided souls from their overzealous neighbors yesterday.”

“You mean the innocent couple from the protestors who were trying to beat them to death?” Judy snapped, practically vibrating.

The loris’s mouth shifted into something that might have been a sneer. “Of course you would use that vocabulary, given your own... proclivities.” She flicked her gaze up to Nick. “I suppose it’s a comfort you won’t breed, at least.”

Tightening his hold on Judy to keep her from leaping directly at the woman – _lawsuits, Carrots, we want to avoid lawsuits_ – Nick just raised his eyebrow and gave her his best “you really think you can scare me?” face. “Believe me, the rest of us are keeping our fingers crossed hoping exactly the same thing about you.”

Her eyes widened slightly, like she couldn’t believe someone had dared insult her, and the part of his brain that had kept him alive through some pretty rough situations pointed out that he’d just made an enemy. If he asked Judy, though, he imagined that his rabbit would say that the loris had already been an enemy –all they were doing was showing that they had teeth.

With a sniff, Strepsirrhine turned away from them both to look at Clawhauser. “Tell your chief I’m here and would like to speak to him.”

Giving the slow loris his own death glare, Clawhauser turned away and made a muttered call to Bogo. A few moments later, the chief himself came striding down the stairs.

Strepsirrhine turned away, her attention on Bogo. “Chief, I know my lawyers have contacted—“

Bogo cut her off with a swipe of a hoof. “Yes, your lawyers have contacted me, more than once. The only reason I’m down here at all is in the hope that you _listen_ better than they do. No, I am _not_ going to have the prisoners released on their own recognizance. No, I am _not_ going to have the cases moved to a different judge. Judge Wapiti is an excellent judge, and the fact that she happens to be married to a moose has no bearing on her ability to try cases.”

The loris stepped forward. “Chief—“

“I didn’t say you could speak.” The chief stepped forward, taking advantage of their height different to loom. “And finally, I am most _definitely_ not going to stop including Species First in every press release we send out about yesterday’s riot. At least two-thirds of the perpetrators mentioned the group by name in their statements, and even if they hadn’t several of them were carrying _signs_ for your group as they assaulted that couple. Even if you weren’t there in person yesterday, your group was _well_ represented.”

Then, without another word, he turned and marched back up the stairs. Strepsirrhine stood there a moment, unmoving, then whipped around and shot Nick and Judy a look of absolute hatred. Then she hurried out of the building.

When she’d disappeared, Judy leaned against Nick’s side. “Thank you for keeping me from doing something that would get me arrested,” she sighed.

Nick tightened his arm around her. “Anytime.”

Clawhauser, for his part, was still glaring after her. “That is one terrible mammal,” he said, the words almost a growl. “I need to post something _scathing_ about her Chitter.”


	5. Chapter 5

When the alarm started beeping, Nick groaned. “I’m a _nocturnal_ mammal, Carrots,” he murmured keeping his eyes closed as he reached across her to slap it off. “I’m not meant to see sunlight before 11 a.m. At _least_.”

Judy smiled, slipping out from underneath his arm so she could sit up. “So you’ve told me.” Kissing his cheek, she hopped out of bed and headed over to the closet. “I’m just waiting for the day you try and give the Chief the same—“

She was cut off by the sound of the text alert on her phone. Then a second one, and a third, then a fourth, and by the time the fifth and sixth ones had come in Judy was alarmed enough to leap for her phone. Normally she only got inundated like that during a family emergency, but surely Mom and Dad would have called….

When she checked though, she realized that the now 11 different texts were all from Clawhauser. Worried in an entirely different way now, she opened the conversation.

When she saw what they said, her stomach clenched.

“What is it?” Nick was sitting up now, any trace of sleepiness in his face or voice gone as he got out of bed and moved towards her. “What’s wrong?”

She clicked on the link Clawhauser had included in his messages, then showed Nick the screen. On it was a gossip article topped by a photo from their recent rescue, the headline beneath it pure clickbait: “Hero Cops Hiding Secret Interspecies Affair.”

Nick swore, taking the phone out of her hand. She couldn’t read the expression on his face as he scanned the article, and her gut twisted at the nerves she couldn’t quite fight. She didn’t care that everyone knew she was dating Nick – she’d wanted this for awhile – but she knew Nick hadn’t been ready yet. Worse, the fact that she was sure Helen Strepsirrhine was their "anonymous source" left the whole thing feeling—

The thought cut off as Judy's ears twitched, her brain finally processing that there were far more faint noises in the hallway then there should be for this time of morning.

Oh _no_.

Bounding to the door, she hopped and caught the little shelf they told everyone was there for decoration but was really so she could use the peephole. The hallway was full of mammals, just like she’d been afraid of, cameras, microphones and notebooks perched and ready for the moment someone opened the door.

“How many have we got?” Nick asked, his voice getting that edge it always had when someone pissed him off.

She did a quick count. “Seven, unless someone’s hiding.” She dropped down, glaring at them all through the door. “They're being weirdly quiet, though. Should we expect them to try and pound the door down?”

Nick shook his head, handing her back her phone. “One, they're hoping to surprise us. Nothing’s more embarrassing for a pap to have their target sneak out the bathroom window. Two, there are a couple of very large, angry mammals in this building who are _not_ excited about being woken up early. It’s possible someone’s warned them.”

Judy’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out who he meant. “You mean Smokey and Bruce? They’re two of the nicest bears I know!”

Nick’s expression softened briefly. “Carrots, most of the bears you know work for Mr. Big. That’s not the most normal sample pool.” Then he refocused on the door, gaze analytical in the way it always got when he was planning something.

“I’m calling Bogo,” Judy said, already dialing. “We need to warn him, if Clawhauser hasn’t.”

Nick still looked thoughtful. “Ask him if we’re in trouble.”

By the time the call connected, however, Bogo didn’t give her a chance to speak. He was already in his uniform, his voice wry. “You’re not allowed to assault anyone, Hopps, no matter how much I’m sure you want to.”

She winced. “I take it you’ve seen the stories?”

“I have you and Wilde on Zoogle Alerts. It makes my life easier to know what the two of you are getting up to.” Judy braced herself, expecting a dressing-down, but Bogo’s voice was quietly serious as he continued. “We’re with you, Hopps. Both of you. Just tell your fox that neither of you are allowed to do anything that’ll get you arrested.”  

She smiled a little, touched. “Thank you, sir.”

“Now hold the phone so he can see me.” When she did, he shot Nick his best glare. “I mean it, Wilde,” he said, doing his best to sound threatening as he pointed a finger at Nick. “Nothing illegal.”

Nick saluted him, amused. “You got it, Boss.”

Judy ended the call and hung up, studying Nick’s face. He looked more relaxed now, like Chief Bogo had given him permission for something, and Judy felt the tension inside her ease a little. “Whatever you do to them, you have to let me help,” she told him, setting the phone on the counter. “We’re in this together.”

“As if I’d ever leave you out of the fun.” His lips quirked, but there was suddenly something oddly fragile in his expression. “Sure you were serious about that sign?”

It took Judy a second to remember the comment she’d made about marching down the street with a sign saying she was in love with him. “ _Absolutely_.” She moved closer, paws on his waist as he looked up at him. “Like Bogo said, you’re _my_ fox. I want the whole world to know about it.”

The last bit of tension left his muscles, and he tugged her close and let himself just hold on for a moment. “Follow my lead?” he asked.

“I always let you take the lead when reporters are involved.” She pulled back enough to look up at him. “We’re going to end up on the front page in our pajamas, aren’t we? I’m wearing the oldest, rattiest pajamas I own, and they’re going to be all over _everything._ ”

Nick grinned. “Don’t worry. You look gorgeous no matter what you’re wearing.”

Judy sighed. “Stay here while I change.”

When she got back, he filled her in on the plan as they headed to the front door. They paused a moment, putting their most indignant expressions on their faces, then Nick yanked open the door. “I’m sure there’s a celebrity out there somewhere cheating on their spouse _right this second_ , and all of you are missing it.”

Everyone pushed forward, microphones shoved in their faces and notebooks poised in the background. “Do you have a comment on claims that the two of you are in a secret relationship?”

Nick put on his best incredulous look. “Secret?” He gestured between them as Judy slid an arm around his waist, his own arm settling around her shoulders. “We’re _living_ together! It’s not a secret!”

There was actually a beat of silence at that, all of them blinking at the unexpected response, and Judy had to hide her face against Nick’s side for a moment while she fought off the urge to laugh. One of the TV reporters rallied first, a raccoon who’d had his face markings artificially highlighted. “Mammals live together all the time who aren’t in a relationship. How were we supposed to know?”

Now Nick shifted to his “You’ve got to be kidding me” face. “Yeah, but how many mammals do you know who live together, work together, spend about 95 percent of their free time together and _still_ aren’t sleeping together? Because I’ve gotta tell you, if they’re not they probably should be.”

Judy gave them all her most innocent smile. “I definitely recommend it.”

There were a couple of mammals writing frantically, but most of the reporters were still floundering. “So you’re saying you haven’t been hiding the relationship because you were afraid of the repercussions?” one anteater tried.

“We’re not afraid of anything,” Judy said firmly. “If you’ll remember, we leap into danger on a regular basis.”

“And, like I said, we haven’t been hiding.” Nick tightened his arm around her. “It’s not our fault you were too dumb to notice what was right in front of your faces.”

The headline that quote inspired ended up being Judy’s favorite, especially since it was paired with a shot of Nick and Judy kissing in the doorway. Nick, as it turned out, took one reporter’s comment about PDAs as a personal challenge.

Judy didn’t mind at all. Nick was an _excellent_ kisser.


	6. Chapter 6

“When asked how they felt about Species First, Officer Wilde said only ‘I’m a fox in love with a rabbit, and she’s a rabbit in love with a fox. How do you think we feel about it?’” Clawhauser snickered as he turned away from the phone screen he’d been reading off of. “It’s an actual crime none of the newscasts included that bit of video. Your expressions must have been _priceless_.”

Judy grinned up at Nick, giving him that conspiratorial look that made his chest feel all warm and gooey. “No one showed the video because what he actually said was ‘How do you think we feel about it, you morons?’”

Nick returned the grin before turning to Clawhauser. “Oh, that was nothing. My favorite bit was actually Carrots’ response – ‘Seriously, that’s the best question you could come up with? I thought you guys were supposed to be good at this!’ Honestly, if we hadn’t been so busy I would have filmed it on my phone just so I could show you.”

Clawhauser looked delighted. “Oooh, I can picture it.” His face lit like he’d just had an idea, and he bent back down to his phone. “I’m going to see if one of your neighbors maybe filmed it and put it up on ZooTube.”

As he searched, Johnson gave them both a double thumbs-up as he walked by. “Good job with the ass kicking, you two. I almost laughed myself sick when I caught the news cast.”

It had been like that all morning, at least at the station. Apparently, someone had made sure some of the choicest clips and stories made the rounds of all the officers and other personnel, who were all responding like they did when someone made a particularly impressive takedown. A couple of them had given him shit about either his kissing skills or his sleepwear, with Judy defending him on the first point and joining in on the second, but since Finnick had left him a 30 second voicemail solely consisting of him laughing his ass off that seemed pretty normal for friendship. Bogo had even given them an approving nod, which from him was basically the same thing as a round of applause.

The station, though, wasn’t the rest of the world. The story hadn’t had a chance to really break before they’d gotten into work this morning, but by the time they headed back home word would have gotten around. They’d have their first real test of how the world would handle them together, and if pretty much everything he’d ever seen was any indication, it wouldn’t be pretty. It would be worth it – being with Judy was worth damn near anything – but there would be trouble.

Judy leaned against him a little, as if she could hear him thinking too loud, just as Clawhauser looked up from his phone with a sigh. “Nothing.” Then his expression brightened again. “Is there any chance I can get you to do the faces?”

000

They stopped by a sandwich shop they went to occasionally on the way home, arguing good naturedly over whether Judy should be banned from baby clothes websites for her own good. “I am their _godmother_ ,” Judy insisted while they waited in line. “One of the girls is _named_ after me. It’s my job to spoil them rotten.”

“Believe me, Mr. Big spoils those girls enough for all three of us,” Nick countered. “Besides, you know that exposing yourself to too many small, cute articles of clothing at one time leaves you lightheaded.”

“I can’t help it.” Her nose wrinkled up. “They’re _adorable_. I showed you the dress with all those teeny tiny bows on it.”

“Yeah, but you were talking about buying one in _every_ color. That’s not healthy, Carrots, and you know it.”

They also scanned the menu as they moved through the line, knowing from experience to have their order ready when they got to the counter. They both inhaled as the previous customer moved out of the way, already ready to order, but were stopped when the pig behind the counter slammed his hooves on the counter. “We don’t serve crossbreeders here,” he snapped at them both, glaring at them as if he could light them on fire with the power of his gaze alone. “Get. Before I throw you out.”

Old anger boiled up under Nick’s breastbone. They’d come in here before when the same damn pig was behind the counter, acting the same damn way they had today. Suddenly, they were less to him because they’d defied some damn imaginary rule in his head? If he thought of them as scum now, he should wait to see what Nick and Finnick could do to his kitchen when no one else was looking. Health code violations would be the least of his worries....

But then Judy leaned forward, fire in her eyes, and Nick realized he was being an ass. She was clearly ready for battle, but no matter how angry Nick was he couldn’t let her risk her job because of him. He reached forward, ready to yank her back....

Instead of jumping up and aiming a swift kick at the pig’s nose, however, she gave a dramatic sigh and shook her head. “You know,” she said in that falsely sweet voice that smart mammals learned to run from. “You’re so lucky that I’m here with the love of my life right now. He’s so good at keeping me from making the kind of decisions that lead to assault charges.” She shook her head, making a tsking sound. “That poor bear. I’ve heard he’s still not walking correctly.”

The pig reared back with an angry snort. “Are you threatening me?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Judy piled on the mock innocence as she laid her paw against her chest. Nick went a little breathless at the sheer magnificence of it. “I was just talking about how great Nick is.” Before the pig behind the counter could respond, she cocked an ear at a muffled sound from the kitchen. “Was that a cough? I do hope you have everything covered back there.”

The pig shifted uncomfortably, and the sudden silence from everyone else in the sandwich shop made it clear they saw it just as much as Nick did. Judy, still entirely in charge of the situation, resigned herself to a dramatic sigh. Then she pivoted, as precise and elegant as any runway model, and walked straight out the door.

Nick, still in awe and not wanting to interfere with such a fantastic exit, collected himself enough to offer up his own disapproving headshake and tsking noise before following her out.

He stepped out onto the sidewalk, moving aside so the four customers who had abandoned the line could successfully leave, then scanned for Judy. She was standing by the corner of the nearby building, arms folded across her chest and foot tapping. When she saw him coming, she moved forward before he could open his mouth. “Are you alright?” she asked, taking his paw in both of hers. “I probably should have let you say something, but I was so _mad_ that it was either that or do something that would probably get us—“

He swooped down and kissed the breath out of her, too overwhelmed to try and put words to the rush of love, lust and gratitude overwhelming him. She made a pleased sound as she clutched at him, rising up on her tiptoes, and even when he heard a disapproving noise from someone walking by he just tightened his arms around her and let himself hold on.

When they broke apart, he grinned at the pleased but confused look in her eyes. “Carrots,” he murmured, low enough only she could hear. “That was the sexiest thing I have _ever_ seen.”

Her eyes widened a little, still looking pleasantly dazed. “Really?”

“Really.” He straightened, still keeping an arm around her. “Mind if we skip dinner and head straight home for dessert?”

She grinned, slow and sweet, then hopped up to give him a quick kiss. “Race you!” she called, then dashed down the street.

Chest light, Nick hurried to follow.


	7. Chapter 7

Eventually, they remembered to eat something, microwaving a few slices of double almond-milk cheese pizza and eating it standing up half-dressed in the kitchen. Well, technically Nick was the only one standing, close enough to the counter that Judy could wrap her legs around his middle.

“You’re distracting me, Carrots,” he murmured, stealing a bite of Judy’s slice before nuzzling her neck. “I need to keep up my strength if I want to keep up with you.”

“It it my fault you’re more interesting than the pizza?” she teased, dropping the rest of her slice back on the plate before wrapping her arms around Nick. “I’m just afraid I’m going to tire an elderly mammal like you out.”

He growled playfully, picking her up off the counter. His tail brushed back and forth along the tips of her toes, another caress. “You know you’re going to have to pay for that, right?”

She grinned as she leaned in for a kiss. “I was planning on it.”

000

Judy’s good mood lasted through the next morning, particularly when there was no crowd of reporters waiting outside in an attempt to ruin their day. The fact that the shower was designed for the apartment building’s larger inhabitants worked to their advantage, which left them plenty of room for both kissing and lather fights.

Sadly, the great start to the day was wasted the moment they headed into work and saw Helen Strepsirrhine waiting for them outside Zootopia HQ.  Judy couldn’t stop herself from tensing, one paw moving instinctively in front of Nick as if that would be enough to shield him from whatever the slow loris was about to do. Then she saw how frazzled the slow loris looked, her fur ruffled as if she’d run her paws through her fur more than once. Her clothes weren’t quite as perfect as they were last time, the collar of her top slightly askew.

Nick shifted closer, catching her paw in his as she moved it from in front of him. She could see his expression out of the corner of her eye, alert rather than angry, and she knew that he’d seen the same thing. At Nick’s small nod, Judy gave the slow loris a cheerful wave as they walked towards her. “Hi! Finally come by to file a police report on your missing charm?”

Strepsirrhine’s glare deepened. Behind her, Judy could see an entire line of her and Nick’s fellow police officers watching from just inside. “You—“ She stopped, shifting her gaze left and right to make sure no one wandered too close to overhear, then lowered her voice to an angry hiss. “You little hellions! How dare you parade so shamefully in front of the TV cameras like that?”

As she talked, Nick slowly started to grin. It was definitely not a nice grin, but it still managed to look _really_ good on him. “I bet you’re having real trouble getting your friends at various news outlets to take your calls, right? Now that you’ve made them look like asses to everyone, I imagine they’re not so interested in what you have to say.”

“It’s not my fault! You should have been the story of the month, but you just— you _just_ —“ She broke off again. “You should be _ashamed_ of yourselves.”

“You’re the one who should be ashamed of herself,” Judy snapped. “We never did _anything_ to you!”

“Oh, she’s done plenty to herself, though.” Nick’s voice was dangerous. “A group like yours depends on press. You struck out big with us, and it’s going to be that much harder to get anyone to listen next time you want to make a statement.”

She flinched, and Judy knew that Nick was right. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Judy looked up at Nick. “You know, I do wish criminals would stop using that line when they tried to lie to the police,” she said in her best falsely innocent voice. “Every time they use it, it’s like they hold a sign above their—“

“Stop it!” Strepsirrhine stomped her tiny foot. “You may have turned the tables on me with yesterday’s interviews, but next time—“

“We’ll be right there, too,” Nick said, cutting her off the same way the slow loris had cut Judy off. “You handed us the floor yesterday, and a lot of news sites got a lot of hit counts letting us have our say. You really think they’re not going to come to us for a quote the next time Species First does something?”

“And that’s not just the sad little group you tried to sic on us,” added Judy. “Reporters love it when people they already have cell phone numbers for suddenly become newsworthy again.” She made her voice falsely sweet. “And guess what you just made us?”

Strepsirrhine made a choking sound, then tried to rally. “They’ll find some way to trap you.”

Nick shot her a disgusted look. “Oh, please. For awhile there after we saved the city people were so desperate for new copy on the city’s ‘heroes’ they were reduced to asking what our favorite brand of cereal was. We can handle the press better than you can.”

“We’re not scared of you,” Judy said, her voice hard. “And we’ll do whatever we can to protect the mammals who are.”

“So you should probably go before you embarrass yourself further,” Nick added. “Though we’ll send you the link to the ZooTube video, if you want.”

Judy blinked in surprise, shifting her gaze enough to see that Clawhauser was now standing in a partially open doorway, clearly filming the conversation on his phone. When the slow loris turned to look at him, horrified, he gave her a wave. “Surprise! You’re on asshole camera!”

At that, Strepsirrhine hurried away as if her feet were on fire. Clawhauser gave a little cheer, then hurried over and threw his arms around both of them. “Oh, you two are _perfect_. And the way she looked so horrified at the very end? I couldn’t have planned it better!”

Nick chuckled, patting Clawhauser on the back. “Seriously, though, send me the link when you post it. Finnick’ll kick my ass if I don’t send it to him.”

“Oh, honey, no need. I’ll text it to him directly.” He squeezed both their cheeks, then stepped back as everyone who’d been watching filed outside for a round of high fives and hearty back slaps. The congratulations continued as they all headed inside, already retelling the story even though it had just happened mere moments before.

Nick was in his element, face lit and gesturing wildly as he described the expression on the slow loris’s face, and Judy thought he was probably the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. He’d seemed like he could breathe better ever since they’d announced themselves, like he didn’t have any reason to stand in the shadows anymore, and he was already starting to blossom to fill the new space.

This, right here, was the rest of her life. She’d already known that, had known it for what felt like forever, even though they’d never talked about it.

They could now, though.

She opened her mouth, the question she’d never dared let herself ask perched on the tip of her tongue, when Nick stopped at whatever expression was on her face. “Carrots? We kind of lost you there for a second. You okay?”

Judy blinked, returning to the moment. Now wasn’t the right time, not in front of everyone like this. Nick would want something private, just for the two of them. She let out a breath, smiling up at him. “Yeah.”

Suddenly, they heard the Chief’s voice from over the balcony. “This is a police station, not a social club! Get back to work!” As everyone disbursed, his attention focused on Judy and Nick. “You two, good job. Now go do what I’m actually paying you for.”

Smiling, they went.


	8. Chapter 8

Asking Finnick to go ring shopping with him would have been the dumbest idea Nick had ever had, if not for two things. One, it wasn’t potentially fatal, which meant that it was automatically less dumb than several ideas Nick had entertained in his younger years. Two, he hadn’t had a lot of options – there were exactly three mammals he felt comfortable enough with to do something like this, and one of them was the rabbit he was buying the ring _for_. The third was Clawhauser, who was great but couldn’t keep a secret for longer than about .3 seconds.

Of course, Finnick had his own little quirks.

“ _Legal_ , Finnick,” Nick repeated for the thousandth time as they walked away from a gopher who had a very nice collection of rocks that were selling at good enough prices they had to be either fake or stolen. “Judy and I are both _cops_ , as weird as that is sometimes, and one cop can only propose to another cop with a _completely legal_ engagement ring.”

Finnick made an exasperated noise. “If you’re looking for something legal, then why the hell did you come to me?”

Nick threw his hands up in the air. “It’s not like I’ve got a lot of other friends, asshole, and I’m trying to marry one of them! Who else was I going to go to?”

Finnick blinked at that. “You really see us as friends?”

Nick tensed, still not comfortable tripping into emotional honesty with anyone who wasn’t Judy. He couldn’t hear derision on Finnick’s voice, however, just surprise and honest curiosity, so even if he shot him down he probably wouldn’t be cruel about it. “How long have we gone without murdering each other?” Nick asked lightly. “And you still help me even when there’s no profit in it for you – first when you helped Judy find me, then when you called to kick my ass about apologizing to her. That’s not even mentioning the t-shirt you sent me when I graduated, solely so you could cherish the mental image of my embarrassment. According to Carrots, that’s what friends _do_.”

Finnick considered this, looking thoughtful. “I’m gonna need you to make me your best mammal for this,” he said finally. “Also, when you hear about some long con involving jewelry stores I’m pulling together, all it’ll be is a story to cover this whole ‘legal purchases’ nonsense you’re about to make me do. Tell your rabbit.”

He crossed his claw over his heart. “We won’t have heard a thing.” Then he sobered, the old familiar tickle of nerves flickering through his chest. “I’ve got no problem with making you my best mammal.” He’d planned on asking him, though there was no need to admit that now. “But if she doesn’t say yes, I’m not going to need one.” He swallowed at the thought. “You’ll have to ask for another favor.”

Because he and Judy had never talked about this, not really. They’d told each other in a dozen different ways that they were in it for the long haul, she hadn’t blinked about the entire world knowing about their relationship, but marriage… well, it wasn’t quite the same thing.

But _oh_ , he wanted it. And with everyone already knowing about their relationship, there was nothing standing in their way anymore.

Finnick looked at him like he was an idiot. “I don’t know where the hell you’ve been for the last several months, but out here in reality we all know she’s gonna say yes.” He rubbed his hands together. “Now, let’s find you a ring that’s not a professional embarrassment to either one of us.”

000

They did find her a ring, a flat band with small diamonds scattered across the surface like stars. Finnick argued the buck behind the counter down to an excellent price, enough that Nick could afford to have them engrave “For Carrots, my light” on the inside. (Finnick, with his secret collection of romance movies, dabbed his eyes a little at that. Nick pretended not to notice.)

Later, after making and then cancelling about 30 different reservations at various restaurants around town, he decided he was going to be calm and rational about this and give himself time screw his head back on properly. Then he’d sit down and plan the perfect proposal, one that gave Judy the experience she deserved. Maybe in the secret spot he’d shown her on the roof, a romantic dinner already smuggled up and the lights of the city spread out under their feet….

So dinner was the usual pizza from Bearinos, half and half because as much as he loved her he still didn’t understand the appeal of carrots (the vegetables, at least) and she felt that he was insane for liking peppers as much as he did. They ate on the couch, not having to worry about being seen as respectable mammals, while Judy continued her eternal quest to figure out how to tuck her feet under his tail and stay tucked up against his chest at the same time. Failing as always, she shoved her feet under his leg to warm them and reached for a slice of pizza. “Maybe I have to diagram it out,” she mused thoughtfully in between bites. “I’m sure there’s a way, but I just can’t see it from my angle.”

“I could just buy you socks, you know,” Nick mused, stealing a bit of coconut milk cheese off of Judy’s slice. “That would solve the problem right there.”

Judy made an exasperated noise, leaning forward again to grab a slice of pizza off his half and handed it to him. “First, rabbits don’t wear socks. No—“ She cut him off as his mouth opened for a counterargument. “I don’t care if there are socks in our size, or how incredibly warm they supposedly are. It’s just not something we do. Second, you are _way_ warmer than socks.” She smiled, wiggling her toes. “And this is good, it really is, but your tail is soft and I want it.”

He took a bite of his own pizza. “Hey, I’m quite fond of your tail, too.” When she wiggled it against his stomach, along with the very nice butt it was attached to, he almost dropped the pizza. “Hey, we have a rule now about not doing that while we’re holding food. You’re the one who was annoyed when we couldn’t get the pizza stains out from last time we—“

Suddenly the pizza was out of his hands, both their slices landing back in the box thanks to Judy’s expert toss, and she was kissing the breath out of him. Nick happily abandoned all thoughts of dinner and kissed back, paws tightening on her thighs, and when she pulled back he grinned up at her. “I take it back – feel free to do that all you want. I’ll buy you a new couch if we need to.”

She grinned back, her expression just as wicked. “Buy yourself a new shirt and we’ll call it even.”

It was a familiar game by this point, as warm and intimate as everything else seemed to be between them. He pulled her down for another kiss. “As soon as this one wears out.”

“You say that as if I don’t know you have seven other shirts just like it in your closet as we speak,” she teased back, her paws on his shoulders. “When this one finally does wear out, you’ll swear it was one of the other ones and that the agreement doesn’t hold.”

His smile was lazy. “You know you’d do the same thing in my place.”

“True.” She kissed him again. “But I have better taste in shirts than you do.”

He pulled her closer. “Then I guess I’ll just have to let you pick out my outfit for the wedding.”

It was only when Judy went absolutely stock still, eyes huge, that Nick realized what he’d just said. “Wedding?” she whispered.

Shit. Shit shit shit. Nick squeezed his eyes shut. “Is there any chance you could pretend you didn’t just hear that?”

Her fingers tightened in his shirt. “If you want me to.”

Not when she said that with such a fragile edge to her voice. Swearing under his breath a few more times for good measure, he carefully deposited her on the couch and went to get the ring box. When he came back, she started to get up with an “I can fix this” expression on her face. “Listen, I didn’t—“

“Carrots.” His voice was gentle. “Sit.”

Judy scowled at him. “Not if I’ve made you upse—“ She stopped abruptly when he held up the ring box, eyes going wide again. “So it’s not just that you were thinking about it,” she said finally, voice unsteady.

He couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the rabbit who held his heart. “I have been thinking about it. All the time, actually, which is why that just kind of fell out of my mouth the way it did.” He hesitated. “I was planning on something more romantic. If you want, we can wait until I—”

She shook her head before he could finish. “Don’t wait.” Her eyes were filling, but there was an enormous grin on her face.

The little part of Nick that had still been worried abruptly realized that she was, indeed, going to say yes. Relief and joy hit him in a rush, leaving him dizzy. “If I go over there and get down on one knee, will you tackle me before I can finish?”

She laughed, the sound wet. “There’s a pretty good chance.”

Nick’s own eyes were starting to sting, so he just held his arms out. “Marry me, Carrots. Make me the happiest mammal alive.”

The yes came as she leaped across the room at him, and he caught her the same way he always did. More yesses came as she peppered his face with kisses, then caught his mouth for a far more serious kiss. By the time they broke apart from that, Nick’s eyes had well and truly filled. “Don’t you want to see the ring?” he managed, voice rough.

“Later,” she said happily, burying her face against his fur as she tightened her arms around him. “I don’t want you to let go of me yet.”

Nick closed his eyes, holding on as tightly as he could. “Ah, Carrots,” he breathed. “I’m not ever letting you go.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my new original fiction on my [blog](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)


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